Feed-water heater.



No. 64I,3|8. Patented ian. i6, |900..

C. D. MOSHER.

FEED WATER HEATER.

(Application led Feb. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

MTM-:SEEE

nrrsnY STATES PATENT Qrrrcn.

CHARLES D. MOSHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 641,318, dated January16, 1900. Application filed February 21 1899. Serial No. 706,343. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom it 12u07/ conce/n.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. MosHER, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed -Water Heaters, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to feed-water heaters; and it has for its objectto provide a construction in which the feed-water may be subjected tosuccessively-increasing degrees of temperature.

It also has for its object to 'provide a heater in which a portion ofthe exhaust from' each of the cylinders of a multiple-expansionsteamengine may be utilized to heat the feed-water.

The invention further has for its object to provide a sectionalfeed-water heater in which provisions are made for maintaining asteamsupply at different pressures and temperatures in the dierentcompartments or sections of the heater.

Other incidental objects of the invention will appear when the same ismore fully explained hereinafter.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a top plan view showing a feed-water heaterconstructed in accordance with my invention, part being in section, anda quadruple-expansion steamengine connected with the heater. Fig. 2represents a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing theconstruction at the point of passage of a tube through one of thetube-sheets. Fig. 3 represents a modification of the above.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, a designates an elongated cylindrical shellor casing having semispherical ends d2 cand a series of transversepartitions d d', dividing the heater into a number of intermediatesections or compartments 2 2 and two end compartments 3 3. The endcompartment 3 at the left of the heater is provided with an inlet-pipea3 for the reception of feed-water, and the compartment 3 at the rightis provided with an outlet-pipe a4 for the delivery of the water. Aseries of tubes d5 a5 pass through the several partitions or tube-sheetsa and connect the two end compartments 3 to each other, there'- byforming a continuous conduit for the feedwater which traverses theseveral intermediate compartmentsv 2. The spaces surrounding the tubesor pipes in the latter constitute independent chambers separated by thepartitions a and adapted to receive different bodies of steam fromsuitable sources. For the purpose of deiiecting the steam in its passagethrough said chambers or compartments baies a6 a6 may be providedtherein, each baffle extending transversely from the side wall and partway across its compartment.

as a8 represent branch pipes connected with the bottoms of the severalcompartments 2 and leading into a common longitudinal pipe d10. Theseveral branch pipes are provided with traps a9 a9, and the wholearrangement serves to drain off the water of condensation from theheater. Adjoining compartments 2 are connected by means of pipes b4 b5h6, in each of which is placed a reducing-valve d. The last compartment2 at the left is provided with an outlet-pipe al, which may lead to acondenser.

@represents a quadruple-expansion steamengine having high, first andsecond intermediate, and low pressure cylinders o c2 c3 c4 and a mainexhaust-pipe c5 for the low-pressure cylinder. The exhausts from theseveral cylinders of the engine are connected to the severalsteam-compartments of the feed-water heater by means of branch pipes b bb2 bs, the first pipe b taking steam from the exhaust of thehigh-pressure cylinder c' and conducting it to the rstheating-compartment 2 at the right, the pipe b connecting the exhaust ofthe first intermediate c2 with the second compartment 2, the pipeb2connecting the exhaust of the second intermediate c3 with the thirdcompartment 2, and the pipe b3 connecting the main exhaust-pipe c5,which takes steam from the low-pressure cylinder c4, with the lastcompartment 2 at the left. To save piping, the branch pipes b b2 bareconnected with the lefthand legs of the several looped pipes b4 b5 h6.

Figs. 2 and 3 represent two different methods of making the jointbetween the diaphragms or tube-sheets d andA the tubes a5. In Fig. 2 anexternally-tapered bushing a12 is driven into the aperture in thetube-sheet through which the tube passes and in so doing slightly necksor contracts the tube, the bushing being longer than the thickness ofthe tube-sheet and being slightly tapered on the outside iinds the leastresistance when it is driven through the aperture in the direction ofthe tube a5, so that bushing and tube become slightly contracted as thebushing is driven in, and as the bushing reaches the opposite side ofthe tube-sheet its diameter slightly increases because of the resistanceoffered by the tube and the removal of the resistance offered by thewalls of the aperture in the tube-sheet, thus making a tight permanentjoint. In Fig. 3 an expansible bushing am surrounds the pipe at the endof a tapped counterbore in the tube-sheet, and a gland am screws intosaid bore and against the bushing a, expanding the latter against thetube a5 and forming a tight joint.

Each of the heating-compartments 2 of the feed-Water heater receivesthrough its branch pipe b b', rbc., a small portion of the exhauststeamfrom one of the cylinders of the engine c. These bodies of steamnaturally vary in pressure and temperature, and hence the feedwaterwhich passes through the heater in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 1 from the inlet a3 to the outlet c4, filling the chambers 3 andthe tubes a5, is subjected successively to increasing degrees oftemperature in its passage from one end of the heat-er to the other. Inpassing through the irst chamber, which receives its steam from thelow-pressure exhaust c5, the feed-Water is heated to, say, 130Fahrenheit. In the second chamber, which receives its steam from thesecond intermediate cylinder, the water is heated to a somewhat highertemperature, and so on in each successive chamber or compartment untilthe water finally emerges from the heater at a sufliciently hightemperature to pass with advantage directly into the boiler. Thepressure-reducing valves dare set so as to maintain the proper pressurein each of the sections of the heater corresponding to but slightlylower than the pressure in the cylinder with which said chamber isconnected, and said valves are also preferably regulated so as toproduce a flow of the steam in the direction of the condenser-pipe a7.This iiow from the first branch pipe b into the heating-compartment 2 atthe right and through the successive compartments past the several reducing-valves is regulated by the said valves, so that in its passagethrough said valves the pressure and consequently the temperature of thesteam are successively reduced. The inlowing steam from the severalbranch pipes b b', die., is deflected by the baffe-plates a, so as tocome thoroughly into contact with the tubes a5 in the compartments 2.

It will be seen that the above-described construction and arrangement oflapparatus provides for a very economical use of steam and permits thefeed-Water to be heated to a very high temperature before leaving theheater by steam that has already been used in one or more engines.

It will be understood that'the several compartments of the heater, orany ot' them, might be connected with the exhaust of auxiliary engines,pumps, or other apparatus using steam, and it will be further understoodthat the invention is not confined to the exact design here shown, asany number of separate and distinct heaters might be connected in seriesby pipes, so that the water to be heated may pass from one heater to thenext and be successively heated by steam of increasing degrees ofpressure and temperature.

I claimlr. A Vfeed-water-heating apparatus having provisions forsubjecting the feed-water successively to diierentdegrees oftemperature, in combination with a plurality of dierent heatersconnected with said apparatus and adapted to `furnish heat thereto atsaid dierent temperatures, said heaters being respectively connectedwith the exhausts of a plurality of different-pressure steam-engine cyl:inders.

2. A feed-water-heating apparatus comprising a series of separateheaters, a feedwater conduit common to the several heaters, and a seriesof independent inlets to the several heater-s, connected respectivelywith the exhausts of a plurality of different-pressure steam-enginecylinders.

3. A feed-Water heater comprising a series of separate `heating sectionsor compartments, provisions for admitting steam thereto from theexhausts of a plurality of different-pressure steamengine cylinders, afeed-water conduit common to the several compartments, connections fromone compartment to another, and pressure-reducing valves in saidconnections, whereby different steam pressures and temperatures aremaintained in the several compartments andthe feed-Water is subjectedsuccessively to different degrees of temperature.

4. A feed-Water heater comprising a series of lsepa-rate heatingsectionsor compartments, a feed-water conduit common to the severalcompartments, a series-of independent steaminlets to the severalcompartments, adapted to be connected to a number of dierent sources ofsteam, connections from one compartment to another, andpressure-reducing valves in` said connections, whereby diierentsteam-pressures and temperatures are maintained in the severalcompartments and the feed-Water is subjected successively to differentdegrees of temperature.

5. The combination with a multiple-expansion steam-engine, of afeed-water heater hav- `ing a series of separate heating sections orcompartments, a feed-Water conduit common to the several compartments,and connections between the several compartments and the exhausts fromthe several cylinders of the engine, whereby steam at dierent degrees ofpressure and temperature is admitted to the respective compartments,andthe feed-water is thereby subjected successively to different degreesof temperature.

6. The combination with a multiple-expansion steam-engine, of afeed-water heater having a series of separate heating sections orcompartments, a feed-Water conduit common to the several compartments,connections between the several compartments and the exhausts from theseveral cylinders of the engine, whereby steam at different degrees ofpressure and temperature is admitted to the respective compartments,connections from one compartment to another, and pressurereducing valvesin said connections, whereby successively-decreasing pressures andtemperatures are maintained in the several compartments and thefeed-water is subjected to successively-increasing temperatures.

7. Afeed-water heater comprisinga casing, a series of three or moretransverse partitions dividing said casing into a number of separateheating-compartments, and two watercompartments at the ends, said endcompartments having respectively an inlet and an outlet for feed-water,a series of tubes connecting said end compartments and traversing theheating-compartments, and inlets to the several compartments for theadmission of steam from the exhausts of a plurality of diEerent-pressuresteam-engine` cylinders.

8. A feed-waterheater,comprisingacasing,

one or more transverse partitions dividing said casing into a number ofseparate heating-compartments, aseries of feed-water tubes traversingsaid compartments, an inlet to each compartment for the admission ofsteam from a number of independentsources, a pipe connection betweeneach compartment and its neighbor, and a pressure-reducing valve in eachof said connections, whereby different pressures and temperatures aremaintained in the several compartments and the feed- Water in the tubesis thereby subjected successively to different degrees of temperature.

9. In apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a seriesof separate heating sections or compartments, a feed-water conduitcommon to the several compartments, a series of independent steam-inletsto the several compartments and connected with the exhausts of aplurality of different-pressure steam-engine cylinders, branch pipesconnected with the bottoms of the several compartments and communicatingwith a drain-pipe common to all, and drain-traps in said branch pipes.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

CHARLES D. MOSHER.

Witnesses:

ROLLIN ABELL, C. F. BROWN.

